Reinforced package



06L 94 L. SALFISBERG 2,

REINFORCED PACKAGE Filed March 23, 1940 INVENTOR 7 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I v moz'zlrfiimss I I I Leroy L. Salfisberg, South Orange, N. 1., usignor to Ivers-Lee Company, Newark, ration of Delaware N.'J., a corpo- 1 Claim.

This invention relates in general to packages or containers formed of thin sheet or strip material, for example, paper, Cellophane, Pliofilm" metallic foil, cloth or the like, and especially sheet material which itself is thermoplastic and can be softened by heat or has a thermoplastic or fusible coating so that juxtaposed layers of the material can be fused or caused to adhere together by application of heat and pressure or with glue to form a seal. More particularly the invention contemplates a package or container of the type in which the package material is folded or creased to form the edges of the package, for example, a flat bag-like package or envelope.

One object of the invention is to provide a package of this general character that shall embody novel and improved features of construction whereby the folds or creases at the edges of the package shall be reenforced, strong and durable, so as to reduce to a minimum the possibility of tearing or bursting of the package along the said creases.

Another object is to provide such a package which shall comprise two sheets or strips of packaging material having their edge portions folded and nested together so as to provide reinforced folds or creases at the edges of the package. 7

Other objects, advantages and results of the invention will appear from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the package embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view on the line 3-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional perspective view, on an enlarged scale, showing in detail one of the reinforced longitudinal edges of the package.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing a modified form of the package, and

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 4 illustrating in detail the reinforced edges of the package shown in Figure 5.

Specifically describing the invention the reference characters I and 2 designate sheets or strips of suitable packaging material, for example, paper, Cellophane, P1iofilm," fabric and the like. Preferably the sheets are thermoplastic, like Pliofilm, or have thermoplastic or fusible coating, so that juxtaposed layers of the material can be fused or caused to adhere together by application of heat and pressure to form a seal.

The sheets are of such a shapeand size as to produce the desired form of package, and as shown, each sheet is approximately rectangular and has its edge portions secured to. the other sheet.

In accordance with the invention, one sheet, in the present instance the sheet 2, has two opposite of its longitudinal edge portions re-- turned as at 3 while the other sheet I has its corresponding longitudinal edge portions returned as at 4. The two sheets are nested together in approximately superposed relation to each other with the edge portions 4 of the sheet I nested within the corresponding edge portions 3 of the sheet 2 and facing in the opposite direction. In other words, the longitudinal edge portions 3 and 4 of the respective sheets are returned in the direction opposite that in which are returned the corresponding-portions of the other sheet. The said edge portions of each sheet are secured to the other sheet, and preferably the marginal zone only of each edge portion is secured throughout its length to the main portion of the other sheet, as indicated at 5 in Figure 4 so that the remainders of the edge portions are free from each other. In practice, the edge portions of each sheet will be in close contact with the corresponding portions of the other sheet, but for clearness in illustration, a space between the retiu'ned portions of the two sheets is shown in Figure 4.

The other edge portions of the two sheets may be secured together in any suitable way, but as shown in the drawing are crimped and heat sealed as indicated at 6.

With this construction, it will be observed that the folded or creased longitudinal edges of the package are reinforced by the double thickness of the material so that the possibility of the package tearing, ripping or bursting along these edges is reduced to the minimum. It will also be observed that the structure provides a double seal or connection of the two sheets to each other at each longitudinal edge, and the strains incident to the tendency of the contents of the package to press outwardly at the folded or creased edges are transmitted through the sealed-together zones 5 to the main portions of the sheets well inside the folds or creases of the edge portion. This-results in balancing such 4 strains at opposite sides of the creases and distributes the strains over large areas so as to stead of the thermoplastic or adhesive-.sonea I.

The package may be utilized for packaging any desired article or commodity, for example fluent powdered or granular substance I! as shown; and the package may he formed and the article or commodity may be inserted in the package according to any suitable methods and with any suitable apparatus.

Various other modifications and changes in the form and details of structure of the package will occurtothoseskilledintheartaswithinthe scope of the invention. 7

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

A package containing a fluent substance. comprising two pieces of flexible material each having edge portions folded and returned upon itself, said pieces being arranged with said edge portions of one piece nested within the corresponding edge portions of the other piece and facing in the opposite direction, with corresponding folds of the two pieces coincident with each other, each edge portion being sealed only along its marginal zone throughout its length to the main portion of the other piece inwardly of the corresponding said fold, and the portions of said pieces between said marginal zones including said corresponding folds being free from each other so that said portions are flexible and the strains incident to the tendency of the contents of the package to press outwardly at the folded edges are transmitted through the sealed marginal zones to the main portions of said pieces of material substantially inside said dolds.

LEROY n samssmo. 

